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November 2011

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From:
Robert Evans <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Robert Evans <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:57:24 -0500
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A late report about a late occurrence -

On Friday morning I was running the sheep through the foot bath, a trough
holding a solution of zinc sulphate for treating against fungus. (I know,
TMI.) Anyway, each pair of wooly ones stands in this bath for a few
minutes, and the whole process takes over an hour for our 26 sheep. All of
us, the sheep, goats and I are kind of used to the process by now, and so
there are few handling issues as they file through the equipment and exit
into the pasture. The result is many minutes of farm and wildlife
observation time. It can be very peaceful, one of the delights of farming.
In this case, it was also a beautiful morning.

Our farm is blessed or cursed by a starling or two that mimic the call of
the meadowlark rather well. For the past month every "meadowlark"  have
checked with my binoculars has turned out to be a starling. In reaction
reminiscent of "the boy who cried "wolf"" I will admit I had stopped
checking. But as I stood there on Friday, tending the sheep, two blackbirds
flew into the nearby spreading ash tree and started "talking" to each
other. They traded fours for a while before the sounds started to register
through my meditative mood. "Hey! Every sound they are making says
meadowlark." I picked up my binoculars, hung on a nearby fencepost, and
confirmed the fact. Yep, two meadowlarks. It seems a little late in the
season, November 25, so I decided to report.

Yesterday afternoon at dusk (5:30-ish) a killdeer was calling through the
rainy, gray skies.

Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County

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